Alexander humphries and john keethler



A. HUMPHRIES & vJ. KEETHLER. WHEEL SPOKING MACHINE.

No. 67,306. Patent ed July 30, 1867.

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Letters Patent No. 67,306, dated July 30, 1867.

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TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that we, ALEXANDER Hunrnluns and Joun Knnrnmzn, bothof Mount Oreb, Brown county, Ohio, have invented a new and useful Wheel-Spoking Machine; and we hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

This invention relates to a cheap, simple, and effective machine for setting the spokes in the hub of the wheel at a proper angle, or, in other words, regulating the dish of the wheel; and the machine'is constructed in such a manner that wheels of any size can be dished, and the spokes can be set at any desired angle to the hub, and with perfect uniformity of dish. In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a wheel-spolting machine embodying our improvements, and

Figure 2 is a top view or plan of the same.

A A and B B representthe supporting framework of the machine, and the posts A A of this frame are connected rigidly together by means of two stout horizontal beams C and D, whilst the-other posts B B are united by similar beams E and F. The two upper beams, D and F, are pierced with apertures 41 d and ff for the reception of either of the shafts G or H, and these shafts occupy axial positions within the hubs of the wheels which are'to be spoked. The shaft G is used when a large and heavy wheel is to be made, and the other shaft, H, is employed when a light wheel is to be operated upon. Each shaft is provided with a screw-threaded portion, 9 it, and a winch, g It, and the screw-threaded portions of these shafts engage with suitable nuts V, which are attached to the beam D. These axial shafts are also furnished with collars R R, which bear against the other traverse beam F. The ends of the hub rest upon the pillow-blocks I and J, whose upper portions are concaved so as to receive said hub, and these pillow-blocks are elevated or depressed, so as to suit any diameter of hub by the set-screws I and J,'which engage with nuts 0 and e, the latter being secured to the beams C and E. The pillow-blocks are guided in a vertical path by means of the tongues 2'2" andjj, which enter the grooves a a and 6 b of the posts A A and B 13. Connected to the upper ends of the posts A A, by means of the pivot-bolt K, is a swinging table, L, and the other end of this table is connected with the posts B B by the rod M, which passes through apertures min said posts, and also through apertures n in plates N N, the latter being attached to the sides of the table L. Ir are apertures in the posts A A, which correspond with the ones at in the'other posts 13 B. I

This provision of the apertures k, m, and 1:- permits of the swinging table L being either elevated or lowered according as a wheel of greater or less diameter has to be spoked. The swinging table L is provided with in longitudinal slot, Z, which is traversed by a sliding rest, 0, and the latter is advanced or retracted by means of the set-screw P, which engages with the nutp. The sliding rest 0 is confined to a longitudinal path within the slot Zby means of grooves S S; and this rest can be set so as to give any desired inclination of the spoke, by means of a scale or gauge, T, which may be attached to the table L at any convenient place. X represents the hub of a wheel, and Yisono of the spokes in the act of being set.

Theoperatiou of our wheel-spoking machine is as follows: The diameter of the wheel being known, the swinging table L is secured at such aheight as to permit the spokes, when placed in ,the hub, to protrude several inches above the top of said table, as shown in fig. l. The hub X is then placed upon the pillow-blocks I and J, and the shaft G is passed through the central opening in the hub, also through the apertures d and f, and the screw-threaded portion is engaged with the nut V, after which the winch g is-rotated so as to bind the hub firmly between the beams D F. The .dish of the spoke being determined, the sliding rest 0 is adjusted to a. point on the scale T, which will produce the required inclination, and the spoke Y is passed through the slot 1, and its lower end isinserted into the proper mortise in the hub, the upper end of said spoke bearing against the sliding rest 0. A few blows being given to the upper end of the spoke, serve to secure it firmly in the hub with the desired inclination. One spoke having been thus'secured in the hub, the rod M is withdrawn and the table L is turned on its pivot K, as shown by dotted red lines in fig. 1, so as to permit the spoke Y being liberated from the slot in said table, when the hub is rotated 9n the shaft G. The table is now swung down to its original position, the bar Minserted in the apertures m n, and the machine is at once ready for the insertion of another spoke, which is done in the manner before described, and so on until the hub is completely furnished with spokes, when it is removed from the machine by simply removing the shaft G. As the ends of the hub are supported upon the pillow-blocksI a-ncl J, they sustain the entire strain when the spokes are driven home, and thus prevent the shafieG from being sprung. Y

Qur machine enables spokes to be set in one-fourth of the time required by the old method, andmlso (lispenses with one opex ator, besides which thewllcel-has a more symmetrical anll uniform appearance, and is more securely put together, on account of the proper set being given to the spokes at the start instead of setting them by the oltl method with a straildle buck,gnuge rod, and hammer, and righting them by side blows.- By with drawing the rod M, tl1e machine can be folcletl up so as to occupy but little room, thus economizing valuable space in. the ml'ishop, and the machine is so simple in its construction, and so little liable to get out of repaii', that with ordinary eare it will last a lifetime. The machine can be set. to hold hubs of short lengths by inserting the rod M in either of the apertures n.

We claim herein as new, and of our in vention A wheel-spoking machine, consisting of the following members, to wit, the axial shaft G, adjustable pillowblocks I and J, swinging table L, and sliding rest OQconstructc-dand operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth. i

In testimony of which invention we hereunto set our hands v I ALEXANDER HUMPHRIES,

JOHN KEETHLER, Witnesses:

Guo'. H. KNIGHT, WM. WEEKS. 

